Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with liver failure and ehrlichiosis diagnosed with widespread
By Alonso, Flavio H et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2024·Department of Biomedical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Case report: Disseminatedphaeohyphomycosis in a dog with hepatic dysfunction, and concurrent ehrlichiosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old mixed breed dog was brought in with severe abdominal swelling (ascites) caused by liver problems. Tests showed low protein levels, anemia, and signs of liver failure. Unfortunately, the dog's condition worsened over the week, leading to euthanasia. An autopsy revealed fungal infections in the liver and brain, along with liver damage. The fungal infection, known as disseminated phaeohyphomycosis, was likely made worse by a previous tick-borne disease called ehrlichiosis, which weakens the immune system.
People also search for: dog ascites causes · mixed breed dog liver disease · ehrlichiosis treatment in dogs
Abstract
A 1-year-old mixed breed dog initially presented with marked ascites due to a low-protein transudate resulting from portal hypertension. Laboratory evaluation revealed non-regenerative anemia, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, evidence of hepatic insufficiency [hypoalbuminemia, decreased urea, increased post-prandial bile acids, prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)] andinfection. Approximately a week later, the dog was declining and was euthanized. On autopsy, multifocal hepatic granulomas and acquired portosystemic shunts (APSS) were seen. Imprint cytology revealed fungal hyphae and pyogranulomatous inflammation in the liver and brain. Disseminatedphaeohyphomycosis was diagnosed by histologic examination, culture and PCR. Immunosuppression due to ehrlichiosis is suspected to have predisposed this animal to fungal infection. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report ofin the West Indies.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39157056/